Process for the manufacture of paper-pulp and the like.



rub e'rA ATEWT urine.

HARRY MGCORMAOK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AND EARLE W. MCMULLEN, 0FKENOSHA, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNORS OF ONE-FOURTH T0 FRANK ORTI-I ANDONE-FOURTH TO JAMES HARBAUGI-I, BOTH OF INDIANA HARBOR, INDIANA.

PROCESS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OI? PAPER-PULP AND THE LIKE.

memos.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that We, HARRY MGCORMAGK, of Chicago, Cook county, Illinois,and EARLE W. MGMULLEN, of Kenosha, Kenosha county, Wisconsin, bothcitizens of the United States, have invented a certain new and usefulProcess for the Manufacture of Paper-Pulp and the like, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The present invention has reference to a process for the treatmentofplants 'WhlCll contain cellulose, for the manufacture of paper pulpand the like.

The process to which the present invention relates is intendedparticularly for the treatment of such raw materials as sun-, flower:stalks and the like, although it will presently appear that the processcan be applied with equal advantage to the treatment of certain otherraw materials.

In the manufacture of paper pulp the raw cellulose material must besubjected to a disintegrating treatment or action WhlCh will liberateand separate the cellulose fibers without destroying or-injuring theirstructure for the urpose intended. This disintegrating actlon isgenerally secured by the combined effects of heat and pressure, and thesolvent action of a suitable liquor. The cellulose fibers are boundtogether by intermediate materials which are generally removed by asolvent action, and this solvent actionis dependent upon the chemicalproperties of the liquor, as well as the temperature and pressure atwhich the action is carried forward.

The physical structure of the cellulose depends upon the nature of theplant growth which producesitw That isto say the cellulose of the woodfibers differs from that of the fibers of other plants, such, forexample,

as sunflower stalks. These are all properly to be classed as cellulose,but the1r strength and ability to resist chemical solvents, and otherdisintegrating actions, depends upon the nature of the plant structurewhich produces them. It is, therefore, found Specification of LettersPatent. P t t 9 19 Application filed November 25, 1914. Serial No.373,945.

customary to use a liquor which is strongly,

alkaline, and for this purpose use is ordinarily made of the hydroxid ofthe alkalis or alkalineearths. The raw material is then 'boiled in sucha solution for the proper length of time under a pressure which generally averages in the neighborhood of one hundred twenty pounds persquare inch. The treatment is continued until the soluble materials havebeen taken up. If such materials as sunflower stalk and the like besubjected to this same treatment the power-.

ful alkali will hydrolyze the cellulose, thereby dlssolving it and thusdestroying its usefulness for the purpose intended. On the other hand,in the present case we have dis covered that if a weak alkaline solutionbe used, and.if the boiling action be carried forward under a pressureordinarily not higher than ninety pounds per square inch, the cellulosewill not be hydrolyzed,'and a thoroughly satisfactory pulp may beproduced. For this purpose we have discovered that it is preferable touse a carbonate as the alkaline material.

We have also discovered the fact that it is desirable to use in theliquor one or more neutral *salts in addition to the alkali. Theseneutral salts probably serve to raise the boiling point of the liquorabove that which would occur at, thedesired pressure, so that;

it is possible for us to attain the advantage of a high boilingtemperature combined with the advantages of a low retort pressure.

Asan example of a suitable solution or liquor the following constituentsand proportions may be mentioned:

NaOH 0f Weightof stalks used. Na CO 10% r 4 u Na cl 3 4 (t 4 Of theconstituents above enumerated the sodium hydroxid and the sodiumcarbonate are alkaline in nature, while the sodium chlorid and thesodium oxy-chlorid areoneu's,

tral in nature. It thus appears that in the particular exampleillustrated the alkaline salts constitute somewhat over fifty per cent.of the weight of the neutral salts.

In carrying into effect the process-of the present invention where aliquor having the above constltuents is used, the sunflower stalks, ifthese be the raw material, may be cut when they are fresh and green, afew weeks before they begin to dry out. They may then be dried in asteamheated closet or the like, and when dry may be shredded. Theshredded material will then be cooked in a-liquor containing. theconstituents previously enumerated. This will be done in a steam heatedkettle at a pressure of from seventy to ninety pounds per square inch.The cooking will ordinarily be accomplished in ten hours or thereabout.

The cooked material may be beaten in a pebble-mill until the fibers arethoroughly separated. For, this purpose the stalks placedin the mill maybe from five to ten per cent. by volume of the pebbles. The jar maybefilled approximately one third full with pebbles, and enough water addedto cover the pebbles and the stalks. Ordinarily the beating Will beaccomplished in two hours or thereabout.

The resulting pulp will be found very satisfactory and desirable for usein the manudone, but we have discovered the fact that the ordinarybleaching agents will generally decompose or destroy the cellulose, andthat, therefore a special form of bleaching agent should be uQlT It lSusual to employ chlor in gas as thebleachi'ng agent, but as beforestated, this will ordinarily destroy the fibrous structure of paper pulpmade i from sunflower stalks and the like. We have, however, discoveredthat potassium permanganate (KMnO can be satisfactorily used as ableaching agent for this pulp. For this purpose the desired quantity ofbleaching agent is preferably added to the water in the pebble millafter the beating has proceeded for a suflicient length of time topartially break up the fibrous material.

While we have herein described the application of our process, and theapplication of its principles to the manufacture of the paper pulp fromsunflower stalks and the like, it will, nevertheless, be understood thatthese principles are equally applicable to the treatment of many otherforms of plant .growth in which the cellulose is similar in Qstructureand composition to the cellulose of 60 'the sunflower stalk.

'We claim:

1. The process for the treatment of cellu lose material for theproduction of paper pulp, which consists in drying sun flower stalks orthe like, shredding the dried material, cooking the shredded material ina solution consisting -substantially of 'sodium' substantially poundsper square inch, for

a period of substantially 10 hours, and which stantially as described.

2; The process for the treatment of cellulose material to produce paperpulp, which consists in drying the raw cellulose material, shredding the,same, cooking the dried and shredded material, and subsequently beatingthe cooked materialin a-pebble mill or the like, the cooking solutioncomprisingessentially sodium hydroxid, sodium carbonate,'sodium chlorid,and'sodium oxy-chlorid, substantially in the respective percentages of5, 10, 8 and 25 as compared to the Weight of the cellulose materialundergoing treatment, substantially as described.

3. The process for the treatment of celluconsists in subsequentlybeating the cooked material in a pebble mill or the like, sublosematerial to produce paper pulp which consists essentially in drying andshredding the raw material, and cooking the dried and shredded materialin a solution consisting essentially of sodium hydroxid, sodiumcarbonate, sodium chlorid, and sodium oxychlorid or the equivalent at apressure of pounds per square inch or less for the desired period of.time, substantially as de-- scribed.

4. The process for the treatment of cellulose material for theproduction of paper pulp which consists in drying and shredding thematerial, and cooking the. same in a solution consisting essentially ofsodium hydroXid, sodium carbonate, sodium chlorid, and sodiumoxy-chlorid for a suitable length of time at, a suitable pressure, andsubsequently beating the cooked material in a pebble mill or the likecontaining water having potassium permanganate in solution,substantially as described.

5. The process for the treatment of cellulose material to produce paperpulp which consists in drying and shredding the raw cellulose material,and cooking the dried and shredded material, in a solution of alkalinesalts and neutral salts, the cooking process being carried forward at apressure of subconsists essentially in cooking the cellulose material ina solution containing sodium.

hydroxid, sodium carbonate, sodium chlorid. and sodium oXy-chlorid, orthe equivalent of said salts, at a pressure of 90 pounds per square inchor less for the desired period of time, substantially as described,

7 The process for the treatment of cellulose material for the productionof paper pulp which consists in cooking said ma terial in a solutioncontaining sodium hydroxid, sodium carbonate, sodium chlorid, and sodiumoxy-ohlorid or the equivalent of said salts for a suitable length oftime at a suitable pressure, and subsequently treating the cookedmaterial With a solution contain ing potassium permanganate,substantially as described.

8. The process for the treatment of cellulose material to produce paperpulp which consists in coomng said material in a solution containingsodium hydroxid, sodium carbonate, sodium chlorid, and sodium oxychloridsubstantially in the respective percentages of 5, 10, 8, and 25 ascompared to the Weight of the cellulose material undergoing treatment,or a solution equivalentto.

said solution, substantially as described.

HARRY MCCORMACK. EARLE W. MCMULLEN. Witnesses for Harry McGormack:

H. B. PULSIFER, H. M. RAYMOND. Witnesses for Earle W. McMullen:

GUS JACOB, J. H. CANTWELL.

